Derrick ‘The Black Beast’ Lewis calls out Kiwi UFC heavyweight Mark Hunt

Browne landed body shots in the opening round of the heavyweight bout that appeared to affect Lewis, who was seen holding his stomach at various points in the round.

In an interview with NESN.com earlier this month, Lewis predicted his bout with Travis Browne at UFC Fight Night Halifax would start with fireworks and end with a second-round knock-out. Fighting every other month or every two months like that puts me in a bad mood at home with my family.

Lewis pounced and, following a questionably late stoppage from referee Mario Yamasaki, ensured he’d get his hand raised.

“I know I had a bigger heart than him”. I got much more heart than he has. Browne has stated that Edmond Tarverdyan, also head coach of Browne’s partner Ronda Rousey, will still head his corner, but his training elsewhere is still an interesting development given the criticism Browne has received since basing himself out of Tarverdyan’s Glendale Boxing Club.

After the match, with a mic in front of him and the whole world watching, Lewis proceeded to rub salt in his defeated opponent’s wounds, touching on allegations that Browne hit his ex-wife and then proceeding to ask, er, the availability of Browne’s girlfriend, Ronda Rousey. “It’s not really hurting from the kick, I just gotta booboo”.

Lewis entered ranked eighth among heavyweight contenders and has won his last six fights while Browne came in at No. 9.

And just like that, thousands of MMA fans got a new favorite UFC fighter.

Former welterweight champion Johny Hendricks made his middleweight debut in the fight card’s co-main event after struggling to continue to make the cut to 170-pounds. Mazany, who took the fight on just over two weeks’ notice, had to forfeit 20 per cent of her purse to McMann for the violation. “Hapa” will likely stick around for at least one more fight, since he’s only lost to top competition, but considering some of the UFC’s interesting releases lately, you never know. “The Reem” earned the win in the first round via submission. In the second and third, Hendricks looked the better fighter across both, using his boxing and wrestling against the fence to dominate his sizeable Cuban opponent.